TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 59

Mol12 Mr Forman Miss Slater, JMS,

W/29/12

Prime Minister

CONFIDENTIAL

нко

HKD 243/12 Hong Kong Dept

SECRETARY

OF STATE

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: RESETTLEMENT

ats

Ps/ind Gener M fillmore Mhelomen SEAD 1-Casale

I have seen Douglas Hurd's and Geoffrey Howe's joint

nute

1 December proposing the resettlement of a further 1,000 Vietnamese refugees in this country, over the next 21⁄2 years.

Funny

As you yourself have pointed out, the refugees already in this kill

country have experienced difficulties in settling in. The majority have settled themselves in London, mostly concentrated in Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich and almost all of the remainder are living in other urban areas where there is. considerable pressure on housing resources such as Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds. The 200 family reunion cases will add immediately to the housing pressure in our major cities, although the other Vietnamese will be accommodated initially in reception areas in different parts of the country, there is little doubt that they too will gravitate to those parts of London and the other cities where the Vietnamese have already

established themselves.

and

These problems should not be insuperable and it would not be appropriate to argue against the further influx of refugees on housing grounds. But housing providers are already under very considerable pressure, especially in the South East, as our review of the homelessness legislation has demonstrated. Even these small numbers could bring criticism from local authorities with many families in bed and breakfast. It seems inevitable that extra resources will be needed to cope with this fresh demand.

Copies of this minute go to Douglas Hurd, Geoffrey Howe, Nigel Lawson, Norman Fowler, Chris Patten, other members of H Committee

and Sir Robin Butler.

N R

20 December 1988